INCOME TAXES (Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation and Income Tax Contingencies) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Reconciliation of effective income tax rate and amount computed using expected U.S. statutory federal rate
Income tax expense at federal statutory rate	$ 1,539,413	$ 949,633	$ 1,094,912
Adjustment due to:
Foreign rate differential	(458,252)	(377,542)	(316,078)
Innovation Box Tax benefit	(397,074)	(324,633)	(260,193)
Impairment of goodwill and cost-method investment	0	343,484	0
Tax Act - Remeasurement of deferred tax balances	(216,572)	0	0
Tax Act - U.S. transition tax and other transition impacts	1,562,532	0	0
Other	27,510	(12,691)	58,319
Income tax expense	2,057,557	578,251	576,960
Unrecognized tax benefits
Unrecognized tax benefit — January 1	32,715	42,594	52,356
Gross increases — tax positions in current period	5,119	2,468	3,411
Gross increases — tax positions in prior periods	5,822	859	4,305
Gross decreases — tax positions in prior periods	(9,202)	(217)	(10,365)
Reduction due to lapse in statute of limitations	(1,009)	(9,077)	(7,113)
Reduction due to settlements during the current period	(1,050)	(3,912)	0
Unrecognized tax benefit — December 31	$ 32,395	$ 32,715	$ 42,594
The Netherlands
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate at Innovation Box Tax Rate	5.00%
Statutory rate (as a percent)	25.00%
Plan | The Netherlands
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate at Innovation Box Tax Rate	7.00%